Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-01-09
a1brelin9 Register
A HISTORY OF TEXAS.
VANILLA JONES WRITES \ SOBER AND
ACCURATE SKETCH
0! the Biggest if not the Greatest State inthe Union
The Peculiar Character OfSam JOhnsOn-
Interesting Points.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, January s.

Dear Register: This geographical portion
of the world known as Texas. was before
its formation into q Republic, claimed as
a Mexican province, and Santa Anna its
dictator was q despotic and mercileSs
tyrant who used all means to crush out
the growing rebellion which soon made it
4 sovereign and independent republic. At
this time there were less than 10000 white
people within its borders.
The area of this state vast and ap-
parently without limit, more than equal
that OF New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio
Virginia, Maryland, Delware, and the six
New England States combined. Great
Britain and Ireland is not half as large;
France Holland, Belgium and Denmark
united scarcely approach IL in area. The
~preatest length OF Texas is SO miles, its
greatest breadth 10 miles, its area pa
$50 : ,uare miles.
Tie early settlements Of Texas were
made by the French and Spanish IN and
after the wear 1855, consisting OF forts and
mission house, but the year 1893 found
them all destroyed. \ few years later
Snanjsh missions were established in tine
unknown territory.
They penetrated into the interior among
the wild COmanche and Apache and erected
their missions, which were presently
besieged by these warlike SayageS. But
the walls being strongly built OF solid
adobe resisted these seiges for months. A
legend exists which tells that the mission
90, AnNNpIa GrP-nsSfnIlV WITH
stood an Indian siege OF l. months. The
vaults being we'll supplied with corn, water
exhaustlesS. tine COmanCheS raised the
siege and lett. These mission houses scat
tered NJ great intervals throughout the
state remind one OF the storm beaten and
war-worn castles Of the middle ages They
still stand silent monuments OF the birth
OF Texan civilization.
In ISO3 the United States Purchased the
Louisiana Territory from France, which
had formerly belonged to Spain, and dit-
t~irultieS Immediately commenced concern
inc the boundary line. The dispute was
settled by establishing the land between
ihe Slbine and Arroy Il Honda II neutral
ground. Before the settlement, II such II
could be called, Spain claimed all land
est OF the Sabine. while the United States
claimed all ~ for west n the Rio GrInde.
This arrangement between the "
Nations WAS anything but satisfactory.
Expeditions iOr the invasion Of Texas were
h.ing constantly formed in the United
StaEeS. IN lSl3 the invaders had a fierce
contest with the Spanish troops, which
were defeated with y loss OF more than
Loco men. In the same year u force OF
- .InO Americans and MeNicanS were
slaughtered by the Spanish army. These
disturbances lasted for yers. In ISL
Nina a spanish refugee won u number OF
victories over the Spanish troops but his
forces were finally scattered and he was
.,Dturrd and shot. In 1919 the con-
trSyerSy between the United States and
Su1in was settled by accepting the Sabine
river as the bOuudTy. In the same year
another revolutionary party under ID.
Lon, entered Texas, but met with defeat
another was recognized which shared the
same fate. In lS&2 Long was a~SSaSSlnated.
Ia l~2l the Mexican Constitution united
C0ahuila with Texas in a single State and
placed a Mexican Is COmmandant. Under
a grant from the Mexican Government a
colony was formed under Stephen Austin
i'm south Fast Texas. Another notable
colony organized was that OF Lahtte the
noted private which was established AT
Galveston. The Rio Gmnde was the re-
tu.tse then and after for all thieves,
gamblers, and deSperadoes in the Union,
and they locked there in numbers. Per
iltpS no country in existence had Its pOpu-
lltiuu 50 wholly composed at ruttilnS aS
WIS the population Of Texas. So ohJec-
i,umublc WAS this class Of American eml
urtntS that BuStamantc the MeXlcau
Dictator issued a decree %tOrbidding further
emigration from the United States. This
however, was a dead letter rs Tar rs it,
practical value was concerned and was
revoked four years later. The population
az Texas was the kind that revolution
thrivesin. 80 in lS33 the American set
telrrS. numbering about 10000, met III
consultation and decided 10 separate iron.
Coahuila. They prepared aState eonstitu-
tion and issued an address to the Mexican
Government of which Santa Anna was the
head. Antonio Lopes tie Santa Anna was
= rrvOlunist nv birth and nature, q man OF
ability but devoid Of principle or honor
lie assisted Iturblde in oyerthrowing the
Spanish power, then turned against
Iturbidc and proclaimed himself Emperor.
The Governments OF COahuila and Texas
havin. been Overthrown, committees OF
safety were established, the first being APP
pointed at a meeting held ut Nina, May
Il, 1855.
r;1iiad was captured by the Texans,
October @, and the battle OF Conception
fought near sun Antonio on the -. Revo-
luton being now on foot, moved with
rlpidity. \ Provisional Government was
formed which elected Henry Smith Cover
nor, and sam HonStn Commander In
C1icf. sun Antonio was taken on Decem-
b,- 10 and i'm a short while the entire
M"yican force was driven from Texas.
SANTA Anna then placed himself At the
hr,I Of :. $40 men aud started for Texas IN
tine sDriug OF 1880. BY this time hundreds
Of adventurous persons were tlOckinS to-
ward Texas. where they enlisted in the
Texas struggle. Matters were now IN a
tlnrlrd condition with sam Houston at
the military head. Houston WAS n o!
.gr most remarkable and eccentric persons
that American history has produced. lie
Vas "A Nirginian, born in ROCkhridgc Co,
in 1913. While yet a hoy his mother emf
GRATED 20 Tennessee. when l. years Of aSs
ne ran away from home aud took his abode
with the Cherokee Indians. In ISL he
returned home and remained for q short
while. lie enlisted in the war OF 1872 and
served under General jackson against the
Indians. After the war in ISIS he began
the practice Of law in Tennessee. lie was
twice = member OF Congress from that state,
and also became Governor. He married
the daughter 81 an Ex-Governor of Ten
nessee IN lS29 and almost Immediately
they separated never TO meet again. A good
deal OF mystery has been clothed around
this peculiar OcCUrTauce, although the eN-
PLANTATION has frequently been made, which
IS to the effect that the bride informed
Houston after the marriage that she loved
another more deeply than she did him
whereupOn they Separated and never after
wards lived together.
In lS29 Houston suddenly left home and
went to the Cherokee Nation in ArkanSaw
where he was adopted by a chief and
eventually became a chief himself, and